April 28, 2015
Gail O’Rorke found “not guilty” of assisted suicide
Gail O’Rorke has been acquitted at the Circuit Criminal Court of helping her friend take her own life.
Ms O’Rorke was found not guilty of attempting to aid Bernadette Forde (51) in travelling to the Dignitas euthanasia centre in Switzerland between March and April, 2011.
There were loud screams from her family in the body of court 17 and Ms O’Rorke raised her hands to her eyes, weeping.
She had faced two other charges relating to an attempt to procure and administer a toxic substance, as well as helping make funeral arrangements in advance of her friend’s death, but on Friday Judge Patrick McCartan ordered the jury to acquit on these due to a lack of evidence.
The seven-day trial heard Ms Forde had died of an overdose in June, 2011. She had wished to end her life due to the onset of progressive multiple sclerosis.
Plans to travel to Dignitas were thwarted when gardai were told of the trip by the travel agent. They intercepted Ms O’Rorke when she went to collect the tickets and informed her of the potential offence in her actions.
Ms O’Rorke, who began working for Ms Forde as a cleaner in about 2003, had come to be a close friend and one on whom the deceased had become increasingly dependent for care as her disease intensified.
On Monday, in his charge to the jury Judge McCartan described the accused as a “faithful, honest, decent woman” who was “faced with an immense dilemma”.
They returned their not guilty verdict at about 3.25pm after just over seven hours of deliberations.
Under the Criminal Law (Suicide) Act of 1993, it is an offence to assist, or attempt to assist someone in suicide, although it is not an offence to take one’s own life. Ms O’Rorke’s case is the first of its kind to be tried under the legislation.
She was buoyed by a large support presence in the court room during her trial and appeared composed throughout.
Evidence over the course of the hearing described the close relationship between her and the deceased over a 10-year period in which she provided close and increasing care to her friend.
She had told gardaí she supported Ms Forde’s decision to die but was unaware of the legal implications in helping her organise travel arrangements to Zurich.